IONOMERS AND IONICALLY CONDUCTIVE COMPOSITIONS FOR USE AS ONE OR MORE ELECTRODE OF A FUEL CELL

1 . A solid polymer electrolyte material for use in an electrode of a fuel cell comprising one or more ionomer which comprises:

(a) polymerized units of one or more fluoromonomer A 1 or A 2 ;

and

(b) polymerized units of one or more fluoromonomer (B):

CF 2 ═CF—O—[CF 2 ] n —SO 2 X   (B)

wherein n=2, 3, 4 or 5 and X=F, CI, OH or OM, and wherein M is a monovalent cation; and wherein the ionomer has a through plane proton conductivity, at 80° C. and 95% relative humidity, greater than 70 mS/cm, and an oxygen permeability at 23° C. and 0% relative humidity greater than 1×10 −9 scc cm/(cm 2 s cmHg).

2 . The solid polymer electrolyte material of claim 1 wherein the ionomer further comprises polymerized units of one or more fluoromonomer (C):

CF 2 ═CF—O—[CF 2 ] m —CF 3   (C)

wherein m=0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.

3 . The solid polymer electrolyte material of claim 1 wherein the ionomer further comprises polymerized units of fluoromonomer (D): CF 2 ═CF 2 .

4 - 5 . (canceled)

6 . The solid polymer electrolyte material of claim 1 in which 50 to 100% of the polymer chain end groups of the ionomer are —SO 2 X, wherein X=F, Cl, OH or OM and wherein M is a monovalent cation.

7 . (canceled)

8 . The solid polymer electrolyte material of claim 1 wherein the ionomer has X=F or Cl and a Tg, as measured by Differential Scanning calorimetry (DSC), in the range of 100 to 250° C.

9 . The solid polymer electrolyte material of claim 1 wherein the ionomer has X=OH or OM and a Tg, as measured by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA), in the range of 200 to 270° C.

10 . The solid polymer electrolyte material of claim 1 wherein the ionomer has a solubility in hexafluorobenzene, at 23° C., of more than 15 grams of ionomer per 1000 grams of hexafluorobenzene when in the X=F or X=Cl form.

11 . (canceled)

12 . The solid polymer electrolyte material of claim 1 wherein the ionomer has an equivalent weight in the range of 550 to 1400 grams.

13 . (canceled)

14 . The solid polymer electrolyte material of claim 1 wherein the ionomer comprises at least 30 mole percent of polymerized units of one or more fluoromonomer A 1 or A 2 or combination thereof.

15 . The solid polymer electrolyte material of claim 1 wherein the ionomer comprises at least 12 mole percent of polymerized units of one or more fluoromonomer B.

16 . The solid polymer electrolyte material of claim 1 wherein the ionomer comprises:

(a) from 51 to 85 mole percent of polymerized units of one or more fluoromonomer A 1 or A 2 or combination thereof; and

(b) from 15 to 49 mole percent of polymerized units of one or more fluoromonomer B.

17 . The solid polymer electrolyte material of claim 2 wherein the ionomer comprises:

(a) from 20 to 85 mole percent of polymerized units of one or more fluoromonomer A 1 or A 2 or combination thereof;

(b) from 14 to 49 mole percent of polymerized units of one or more fluoromonomer B; and

(c) from 0.1 to 49 mole percent of polymerized units of one or more fluoromonomer C.

18 . The solid polymer electrolyte material of claim 3 wherein the ionomer comprises:

(a) from 20 to 85 mole percent of polymerized units of one or more fluoromonomer A 1 or A 2 or combination thereof;

(b) from 14 to 49 mole percent of polymerized units of one or more fluoromonomer B; and

(c) from 0.1 to 49 mole percent of polymerized units of fluoromonomer D.

19 . The use of the solid polymer electrolyte material of any one of claims 1 - 3 , 6 , 8 - 10 , 12 , 14 - 18 in an electrode of a fuel cell.

20 . The electrode of a fuel cell comprising the solid polymer electrolyte material of any one of claims 1 - 3 , 6 , 8 - 10 , 12 , 14 - 18 .